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Why Do We Need Prophets?

Wilson: Why does mankind need to have a prophet or a messenger from God? Man
is endowed with a mental ability by which he can distinguish between right and
wrong. One can say that there is no need for heavenly guidance to tell him what to do
or not to do. The average individual is able to conduct himself sensibly, so he may
deal with others and with his own family in a rational way without any need for
Divine law.

Chirri: The prophethood is needed for many reasons:

1. THERE IS A NEED TO REMIND PEOPLE OF GOD

Theoretically, man is capable of deducing the existence of the Creator through his
observation of God's creations on earth. The free human mind is capable of
comprehending abstractions and universal ideas. Because of our biological appetites
or needs, we are closely bound to the material world. The material attractions of the
world divert the best of us. The average person does not seem to be capable of a
detached comprehension of his Maker. Nor can we expect the average man to divorce
himself from the material things in the world to think clearly about God.

Moreover, the wondrous regulation of the universe implies the existence of an


Orderer, the Almighty God. But man is too engrossed in his petty concerns to notice
natural laws, let alone think of their origins. Man has become too accustomed to the
sun rising in the east to think about why it does. Mankind falls short of the important
recognition of the Creator. The universal recognition of His existence by man is not
the result of common thinking but due to the teachings of some gifted individuals who
succeeded in leading mankind to this conclusion.

2. THERE IS A NEED FOR AN INCONTROVERTIBLE AUTHORITY

People differ in education, abilities, feelings and backgrounds; so they differ in their
views. Many important issues concerning man's actions are highly controversial
among individuals and groups. Ethics and morals are strongly disputed. Philosophic
justifications can be found for almost any viewpoint. Rather than clarifying the issues
so that one finds it possible to make a rational choice, the rational philosophies
amplify the confusion. Reason and philosophy have failed as a solution for ethical and
moral questions. The answers we seek must come from an incontrovertible authority
to which individuals and groups should submit. That authority is God.

3. THERE IS A NEED FOR ADORATION OF GOD

Though a free thinker may be able to recognize God and His greatness, he usually
overlooks the importance of adoration. Even if one recognizes the need for adoration,
he does not know how to do it. Some people may think it is important to sacrifice and
burn animals, others pursue animal passions in the name of God. One believes the
ascetic life is loved by Gods while others believe that life is an abomination to God
and destructive to the human race. Others adore God by singing and playing
instruments, while others believe in submission and kneeling as their form of
devotion. The acceptable form of devotion must accord with God's will, not our
desires and whims. He should make His will clear to us through a messenger or
prophet.

4. THERE IS A NEED TO RESTRAIN THE IMPULSES

Man, unguided and untrained, resembles the animals in his instinctive constitution.
Reason is subverted to the service of satisfying his passions unless a restraining
element is introduced. Philosophy is not helpful in restraining our passions, since it is
available to only a few; nor is there a consistency in philosophy that urges us to
control the passions. Some people reach the conclusion that we should strive only for
instinctive satisfaction. We are now struggling against such an ultra-materialistic
ideology, the doctrines of which discourage the restraint of passions for moral
reasons. The ultimate moral and ethical standards all lie with God. When His
messenger transmits His word, it will be a sound basis for ending dispute over these
matters.

5. THERE IS A NEED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT AFTERLIFE

For a man who believes in God, it is highly probable that his life may continue after
death in some form. It is also probable that there will be a Day of Judgment on which
man will be rewarded or penalized. If there is such an afterlife, man should prepare
himself for the judgment. Only God could know about the existence of an afterlife.
Philosophy is of no help here; nor can the human mind deduce the existence of the
afterlife from observation or experience in this world. Only God has the certain
knowledge. He can transmit this information through a messenger so that mankind
will know and will be warned.

The answers to the questions raised above lie with God. He can impart the knowledge
to man in any way He desires. One of these techniques is to send a prophet who
clearly answers each of the questions as a mediator between God and man. The
teachings of such a heavenly messenger would serve the following purposes:

A. To draw the people's attention to the real significance of the great order of the
universe, which becomes insignificant to the common man, because of familiarity.
The universe is truly infinite and full of wonders; and, if contemplated attentively, it
could lead to a strong and sound faith in the Creator. Man's attention can be drawn to
those natural signs through the prophet's teachings and directions.

B. To express the moral and ethical standards and codes with which mankind could
conform and settle the controversial ethical issues.

C. To make the imperativeness of God's worship evident and to teach us how to


perform such adorations.

D. To deliver to us the codes which are needed for curbing our appetites and to
stimulate our

aspirations for loftiness and purity which, if progressively increased, could rank us
with the angels.
E. To inform us definitely that there is or there is not a life after death. This
information could only be received from the Creator Who alone knows whether or not
He will create the other world.

Wilson: The heavenly teachings did not serve all these purposes since we still dispute
the ethical and moral issues. Disagreement still prevails on the manner of worship of
the Creator, His existence, and life after death.

Chirri: These purposes have been satisfactorily served, since a great portion of
humanity had agreed on most of the moral issues and believed in the Creator and the
Hereafter. With the acceptance of these heavenly principles by such a great portion of
humanity, mankind could restrict the loose appetites and moralize the world to some
extent.

Furthermore, the heavenly information is necessary even if it does not serve any of
these purposes. This holds true because the Creator should bring about the
opportunity which may enable us to know Him and help promote our morality, which
draws the actual line between human beings and animals. When God creates the other
world or plans to create it, He should make it well-known to mankind by His heavenly
information, which is the only way we can become aware of it. If the Creator does not
send his messenger to transmit to mankind this information, we may be excused when
we ignore it, and we will have no opportunity to have a relative perfection. Moreover,
if He creates the other world and makes it unknown to us, its creation would be utterly
futile.

The historical facts had accorded themselves with this hypothesis, the necessity of the
heavenly teachings. Providence did not neglect the human beings since they were in
their primitive stage. Thus, many gifted individuals were chosen by the Creator to
perform the great and noble task of reforming and teaching.

Wilson. From the word "prophet" we understand that the prophet is supposed to
communicate with God and receive His words. The human ways of communication
are physical, either through hearing some audible voice or reading some written
words. A prophet is a human being like us. He can hear the voice by his ears and see
the written word by his eyes. But God is not physical. He does not speak by voice, nor
does He write by hand. How can a prophet communicate with God?

Chirri: A prophet may communicate with God through one of the following ways:

(a) He may receive the revelation mentally. God may show him spiritually some
specific truth by creating, in his mind, a clear knowledge of that truth.

(b) God may create some words audible to the prophet, in some non-speaking object.
The first revelation that was received by Moses came to him by this method. He heard
the words of God coming from a tree.

(c) A prophet may receive a clear message from God through an angel messenger.
The Prophet Mohammad received the Holy Qur'an through the angel Gabriel. From
the Holy Qur'an:
"And it is not fitting for a mortal that God should speak to him, except by inspiration,
or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what
He chooses. Surely, He is High, Wise." 42:51

None of these ways through which a prophet communicates with God is usual to the
rest of the people, and none of them is beyond the area of possibility. The Creator is
able to communicate with His servant in any way He pleases. The recipient of
revelation, however, is supposed to have certain qualifications which place him
spiritually above the rest of mankind .

Wilson: History has witnessed many individuals who claimed prophethood. These
individuals appeared in various periods, and some of them are still alive. We know
that some of them were true prophets, and some of them were untrue. How can we
distinguish between true and untrue prophets?

Chirri: A prophet is a messenger of God. He is an ambassador of God to mankind.


An ambassador is supposed to have some credential papers, some signs which
demonstrate his truthfulness. No one should be received as an ambassador on his own
claim. Therefore, we find that those individuals who are believed to be prophets were
equipped with some unusual powers which could not be found with other people.

Moses was empowered by God to convert his staff into a serpent, to transform water
into blood, and to split the sea with a strike of his staff. Jesus was empowered to cure
the sick without medicine, to make the blind see, to bring the dead back to life, and,
according to the Holy Qur'an, to speak to the people while he was in the cradle.
Mohammad was equipped with the superb speech, the Holy Qur'an, which challenged
mankind to produce its like in the Arabic language.

Wilson: Should the prophet be human or may God send to mankind a non-human
messenger?

Chirri: A prophet is an example to mankind. He should share with them the same
nature, the same ability, and the same limitation. An attractive example to the people
must be obtainable. It must have the capability of inducing the people to follow it.
Should the prophet be from a different nature, people will not attempt to follow his
example. A relative perfection shown by a prophet should be possible for his
followers. Should a human being show me a high degree of virtuous life, I may be
tempted to try to attain that degree. He and I are human. What is possible for him is
possible for me. But if an angel shows me a high degree of morality, I may not
attempt to follow his example. What is possible for him may be impossible for me; he
is not from the same nature.

There is another reason to believe that mankind should receive human prophets: We
have advanced that a prophet is expected to substantiate his truthfulness by showing
people unusual performance. By doing so, people would know that he is empowered
by God because what he does is beyond his natural ability. This will not work if the
prophet is non-human,-let us say an angel. A human prophet may, for example, show
his truthfulness by taking an unaided flight. Should an angel do the same, it will not
demonstrate his truthfulness. Such a flight will not necessarily be beyond his natural
ability, since he may not be affected naturally by gravitation.

Wilson: What does the belief in the prophethood include from the Islamic point of
view?

Chirri: The belief in the prophethood, from the Islamic point of view, includes the
following:

1. The belief in the prophethood of Mohammad. Mohammad is a major prophet sent


not only to a particular nation, but to all mankind. From the Holy Qur'an:

"Say: O mankind, surely I am the messenger of God to you all, of Him, Whose is the
kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth. There is no god but He; He gives life and
causes death. So believe in God and His messenger, the unschooled prophet who
believes in God and His words, and follow him, so that you may be guided aright."
7:158

2. The belief in the prophethood of all the prophets who came before Mohammad
because they are recognized by the Holy Qur'an:

"Say: We believe in God and (in) that which has been revealed to us, and (in) that
which has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Jacob and the tribes, and (in)
that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and (in) that which was given to the
prophets from their Lord. We do not make any distinction between any of them, and to
Him do we submit." 2:136

3. The belief in Mohammad as the final of the prophets whose death brought the
prophethood to a close. From the Holy Qur'an:

"Mohammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the messenger of God and
the 'Khatam' of the prophets, and God knows all things." 33:40

The word Khatam means the seal which closes a container or the seal whose imprint
confirms the authenticity of certain contents of a written document or a message.
Sealing for closure or for confirmation comes at the end of what it closes or confirms.

The Prophet Mohammad said to his cousin Ali:

"Thy position from me compares to the position of Aaron from Moses, but there will
be no prophet after me. "

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